


What It Means To Me

by justapipe-dream (alexoli96)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Birthday, Bit of comedy, Cats, Cooking, Cute, Fluff, Gift, Happy, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Romance, features queen and a song lmao, teeth rotting fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 17:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16520621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexoli96/pseuds/justapipe-dream
Summary: “The key to my heart,” Neil half joked in a tone of voice only loud enough to fit the small space between their mouths. Andrew did not find it funny, but when did he ever?Or, Andrew has a good morning on his birthday





	What It Means To Me

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr:  
> http://justapipe-dream.tumblr.com/

It was rare that Andrew didn’t wake up at the same time that Neil did. It was rare that he could sleep through the noise, through the movement of a body waking up next to himself, through the soft padding of footsteps on their beige carpet… Still, on the morning of the 4th of November, Andrew found himself alone in bed when he first woke, the other pillow cold to the touch by his side. He was not alone for long, as one of the cats jumped onto the bed and meowed in good morning, brushing up against whichever part of her owner was left uncovered. Andrew sat up and took the cat in his arms, whispering a quiet hello into her silky orange fur as he moved to stand. He frowned at the cold and exchanged the cat for a warm sweater, but the frown did not leave his face. Andrew still found it hard to get along with happiness, to let it take over his body in a way it never had in his younger years. So, when happiness threatened to show its sunny face, he would still find a way to brush it off, to cover it up. And yet, Andrew was content, no matter how much he tried not to show it. 

Andrew found Neil in the kitchen when he silently walked out of their bedroom, arms wrapped around his own torso. Finding Neil in the kitchen was a revelation all by itself, as Neil avoided the kitchen as much as he could, being the lousiest cook out of the two. But his partner was not just in the kitchen, as Neil was not just anything when he set out to do something. Neil was actually making a mess in the kitchen. It was in that moment that Andrew realized he was cold because the windows were open, the light brown curtains dancing from side to side as if wind lived inside their apartment. And the windows were open because there was smoke everywhere. Andrew sighed, preparing to deal with the strenuous day that was definitely ahead of him, and cleared his throat once he reached the small kitchen island. 

“Trying to become a chef this late in your life, are you?” He asked, watching in amusement as Neil, not seeing the interruption coming, failed to catch the pancake he was flipping. The flying pancake managed to land next to the other cat, who gave it a couple of sniffs and then backed off. Neil’s pancake wasn’t even good enough for the cats.

“I was just… Trying to make breakfast,” Neil as well seemed to realize, albeit belatedly, he was not Michelin star material, as he put down the spatula and tossed his ridiculous orange apron aside, “trying being the operative word.” 

Andrew shrugged, as he often did nowadays whenever Neil attempted a silly thing (no harm done, after all), and leaned forward on his elbows. “Is there coffee, at least?”

A blink or two later, from a too silent mouth and a too guilty looking face, and Andrew realized that no; coffee had not, in fact, been made that morning. Harm done, then. He huffed, climbed off the stool, stole a quick kiss on his way over to the coffee machine, and promptly got to work. He would not be able to get through the day, especially that day, without caffeine. The problem soon became evident, however, when Andrew could feel Neil’s ocean blue eyes trained on him even with his back turned to the man. 

“Get it over with, then,” he muttered impatiently, setting the coffee mugs on the counter perhaps a little too hard. He heard shuffling in the background, hands rummaging through shopping bags, and finally, footsteps approaching. Neil knew better than to touch him from behind, as even after all these years that was something Andrew still could not stand. Instead, he called out his name (and oh, Andrew would never tire of that tone of voice that showed Neil could not yet believe he could have this, because he, too, still thought it unbelievable), and Andrew turned around. Predictably, there was a small box wrapped in a bow resting on Neil’s outstretched hand. Not one for ceremonies, Andrew took it and opened it without preamble.

It was ironic that the song playing in that moment, coming from the vintage radio they’d decided to buy a few years before, was Queen’s ‘Love of My Life’. Ironic, yes, because Andrew still remembered how close he had come to lose Neil, long before he’d learnt the name of the feeling inside his chest. Long before he’d given it a name, or admitted it to himself. He didn’t feel close to losing Neil now, far from it. He felt safe in the knowledge of their forever, whatever that meant for the pair of them. That was not to say he didn’t get surprised at Neil’s gift. A small key with ‘Stay’ engraved on one side, and ‘Always’ on the other, that doubled as a necklace. 

“The key to my heart,” Neil half joked in a tone of voice only loud enough to fit the small space between their mouths. Andrew did not find it funny, but when did he ever? He lifted his right hand to Neil’s neck and closed that small space, kissing him as tenderly as someone like himself could. From there, it was easy to allow his forehead to fall against his partner’s shoulder, and for his left hand to come to rest on his waist. Neil, too, was a quick learner, and wrapped his arms loosely around Andrew after getting his consent. They were not slow dancing. But almost, almost. 

 

“When I grow older  
I will be there at your side  
To remind you how I still love you  
(I still love you)”

**Author's Note:**

> Havent written anything in a while, please take it easy on me and please leave a comment to tell me if you liked it!  
> Also, I absolutely did not feature Queen here because I went to see the movie yesterday and loved it....thats a lie, that was definitely the reason lmao. (yes yes i know the rest of the song has nothing to do with them, let me live)


End file.
